Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-05-21

During the strike the %journeymen pal,
out over 500, 900 in strike benefits.
LABOR'S SHARE OF TIFF PROFITS.
The stockholders Of the Toledo. AM
Arbor and Northern Michigan Railroad
company adapted at their annucl meet
ing. April 20, a plan devised by Presi
dent Ashley, for the distribution of 8
share of the profits among the com
pany's employees. Under the plan,
every year that the company declares
Il dividend on its stock each employe
or officer of the company, except the
president, is to receive a dividend on
the amount of his salary for the pre-
ceding year, in like manner as if tina,
salary were capital stock of the com.
pany. Any person retiring from the
service of the company with an honor
able discharge after twenty years OF
continuous employment by it, is to re-
ceive a stock bonus equal to the
amount of his salary for the last year
preceding his retirement. Provision is
also made for stock bonuses to persons
who may be wounded, and TO the
families of persons who may be killed,
in the service of the company.
Labor has been generally advanced,
but outside one or two cities, there are
nc serious labor agitations in progress,
and none are probable. The demand
for all kinds of building material, in
Guiding iron, steel and nails, is such as
to enable manufacturers to obtain
nearly full prices for their products.
| Nails have been reduced slightly IN the
west, and sell now at 1926 and in the
east at 1886 to $3.50. The nail mills
are rapidly filling their early spring
contracts on hand for over 1000, 600
tons, AID the bridge works are rapidly
filing up with orders, which will keep
them busy till the close of the season.
The new railroad freight rates are
still seriously interfering with the de-
velopment of business throughout the
country, but a restoration of confidence
is quietly going Oh, as railroad COM
panies are quietly returning to the old
freight rates, which prevailed before
the new law went into effect.
The demand for coal is slowly eX
panding. The anthracite combination
Is still able to exact high prices. The
Atlantic bituminous miners will adj
vance prices Nav |.
Ostrich farming is prospecting in
California, and the feathers are equal
to the best grown in Africa. The
ostrich weigh from 500 to SOC pounds.
Every seven months after it is -four
years old it's plumage is ready for the
market, yielding twenty-five fine feath-
ers, and a number of less valuable ones.
They are not plucked but cut off with
shears. The longest and finest white
feathers sell at wholesale at 81 apiece,
and good feathers are worth $500 n
pound. 1t requires a good deal OF
capital TO run n farm. An ostrich in q
hurry can make forty miles an hour.
American shoemaking machinery is
being largely introduced into Germany.
Manufacturers are forced TO adopt
American makes more and more each
year on account of the economy Sc
cured. During the past eight months
the exports of boots and shoes from
this country foot up 69,577 pairs, rs
against 1887 pairs for the same eight
months of the previous fiscal year.
The export trade grows very slowly,
on account of the high prices of inn
ported material and the low prices OF
foreign labor.
In advocating the adoption of ais
scheme, President Ashley gave utter
ance TO the following, among other
sensible expressions:
In the practical administration Of great
corporate trusts, especially In the case of q
railroad company, one soon learns, as he can
not learn elsewhere, how absolutely INSOFAR
able are the true interests Of capital an1
labor.
This plan Of allotment is proposed in tn,
confident belief that it will largely increase
the net earnings Of the company, and pro
mote zeal, economy and general efficiency
that it will also prove itself TO be a yaluabl,
educator, and teach the necessity OF sobrietN
and fidelity, and that mutual confidence anc
good will is better for all than contentious
and strikes.
We believe that the time is coming
when the truth of the above sentiments
will be generally recognized. We be
lieve that both employers of labor ant
| those who work under them, will, in
time, see it to be their interest to spenC
their energy and ingenuity in seeking
each others welfare, and not in fight
ing each other. In other words, we
bellows that fulfilling the command OF
Christ by helping to bear each Others
burdens will be found to promote hes,
the welfare of all concerned. We be.
lieve in the philosophy Of Jesus Christ
as the best fer this world as well as
for the next.-New York Witness.
Building activity has broken out
afresh both east, north, west and south,
and builders and architects in all the
larger cities of the country are loaded
up ard down with contracts, three
fourths Of which will engage them for
the next six months.
The locomotive builders report an